(Until it was disbanded in April 2012, ALEC also operated a Public Safety and Elections Task Force, which adopted such "model" bills as the "Stand Your Ground" bill or "Castle Law" doctrine and the voter ID Act. Later in 2012, ALEC launched the "Justice Performance Project" (JPP) in place of the Public Safety and Elections Task Force. The bills associated with the JPP in task force materials obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy and posted by ALEC appear to continue ALEC's modus operandi of promoting the financial interests of the corporations and special interest groups that fund it, such as the American Bail Coalition, according to PRWatch.[1])

This article is about ALEC's Federalism and International Relations Task Force, formerly the ALEC International Relations Task Force. Corporations can join this task force for $10,000 a year.[2] For model legislation crafted and adopted by the Federalism and International Relations Task Force, go here. For task force directories and meeting agendas, go here.

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

According to ALEC, the "members of the International and Federal Relations Task Force (IFRTF) believe in the power of free markets and limited government to propel growth not just in the United States but around the globe. . . . ALEC's. . . policy directives are backed by our members: US state legislators from all 50 states and some of the world's largest corporations."[3]

ALEC offers two levels of "Private Sector" membership in the IFRTF. "Recognizing that some of our private sector members are interested in the task force for the policy opportunities of membership while other private sector members also want the networking opportunities that our international trips offer, we have established two types of IFRTF membership-- Policy Membership which includes all of the policy promotion opportunities available in any other ALEC task force and Ambassador Membership which includes the Policy Membership Benefits as well as one international trip each year. The trip destination will be determined by IFRTF private sector members, and ALEC staff will select the public sector participants with an eye toward including those in leadership positions in their state legislatures."[3]

2015 States and Nation Policy Summit Substantive Agenda

The following "model" bills were proposed for the Scottsdale, Arizona summit:[4]

2011 ALEC Winter Task Force Summit Substantive Agenda

The following "model" bills were proposed at the Scottsdale, AZ conference:

"Disposal and Taxation of Public Lands Act" (Presented by Rep. Ken Ivory of Utah) (This proposal "strongly urges the Federal Government to use proceeds from the sale of lands not disposed directly to the state only to pay the public debt pursuant to the Congressional Disposal and Taxation of Public Lands Act Resolutions of 1780 and 1790" and "urges the United States Congress in the most strenuous terms to engage in good faith communication, cooperation, coordination, and consultation with the state of {insert state} regarding those lands wherein the public has developed a reasonable expectation of multiple use that must be disposed of directly to the state.")

"Resolution Requesting the Obama Administration Confer and Consult with the States on Management of Public Lands and Energy Resources" (Presented by Rep. Harold Brubaker of North Caroline) (This proposal "calls on Congress and the Administration to commit to greater consultation with the states and to recognize cost-benefit and job-impact analyses must be addressed in order to understand how federal regulations impact states and their respective citizens.")

"A Resolution in Support of Federal Efforts to Address Rogue Internet Sites that Sell Counterfeit Products and Facilitate Digital Theft" (Presented by Andrew Kovalcin, Global Intellectual Property Center) (This proposal "supports efforts to enact legislation addressing enforcement by state and federal authorities to protect intellectual property rights to combat rogue websites that traffic in pirated music, movies and counterfeit goods and make it more difficult for rogue websites to operate.")

"Resolution in Support of the Keystone XL Pipeline" (Presented by Brandie Davis, Philip Morris International) (This proposal "support[s] continued and increased development and delivery of oil derived from North American oil reserves to American refineries, urge Congress to support that continued and increased development and delivery, and urge Congress to ask the U.S. Secretary of State to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.")[9]

2011 ALEC Summer Task Force Summit Substantive Agenda

The following "model" bills were proposed at the New Orleans conference:

"Hard Science Resolution" (Presented by Brandie Davis, Philip Morris International) (This proposal "urges legislatures and executives around the world to base regulatory policy on hard science and to eschew regulation that falls below this standard.")

"Resolution against EU Funding of NGOs" (Presented by The Honorable Roger Helmer, Member of European Parliament) (This proposal requests that the "European Union shall not engage in political advocacy apart from government-to-government representation and communication on issues isolated in domestic affairs and with a disproportionate impact on the welfare of local communities" among other requests.)

"Resolution Upholding Longstanding Policy Maintaining Agriculture Commodities and Product Comprehensiveness of US Trade Agreements" (This proposal "urges the Obama Administration and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to hold firm on the longstanding principled policy that trade agreements must be comprehensive and that no products or agriculture commodities be removed in the name of public policy.")

"The Federal Law Evaluation and Response Act" (Presented by Rep. Christopher Herrod of Utah) (This proposal "creates a state Constitutional Defense Council and Federalism Subcommittee to review, evaluate and respond to federal actions that infringe upon the constitutional jurisdiction of the state. It provides the standard for such review and a mechanism for coordinating the review, evaluation and response together with other states, and with the congressional delegation from the state.")

"Constitutional Defense Council Legislation" (Presented by Nick Dranias, Goldwater Institute) (This proposal establishes a state constitutional defense council. "The purpose of the council is restoring, maintaining, and advancing the state’s sovereignty and authority to restore principles of dual sovereignty and protect individual liberty.")

"Model State Sovereignty Civil Rights Law" (Presented by Nick Dranias, Goldwater Institute) (This proposal establishes that "Every state and federal official who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of the United States, or any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, enforces any federal law, federal grant condition or federal regulation that purports to displace, supersede, control or condition the exercise of the traditionally reserved powers of the State of _______ in violation of the United States Constitution, shall be liable in an individual capacity to suit in equity in the courts of the State of __________ by taxpaying residents of the State of _________.")

"Sovereign State Interstate Compact" (Presented by Nick Dranias, Goldwater Institute) (This proposal "objects to the federal government using conditional grants to exceed the enumerated powers specifically delegated to Congress and to encourage states to relinquish core attributes of their sovereignty and to adopt one-sizefits-all public policies in exchange for federal money.")[10]

2011 ALEC Annual Meeting Substantive Agenda

At the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting, the following items were discussed, according to the Program: "One of our newest private sector members will introduce a resolution to counter rogue Internet sites and Member of the European Parliament Roger Helmer will present on the EU's funding of American NGOs and introduce a resolution seeking to counter this influence. Nick Dranias of the Goldwater Institute will discuss his three step plan to restore state sovereignty and Utah Representative Ken Ivory will offer his insights on how states can protect the U.S. Constitution."[11]

Co-chairs

Altria Group, formerly Philip Morris, is the world's largest tobacco company. In the U.S. it controls about half of the tobacco market. In 2007, Altria spun off its food division.[13] Altria Group's primary holdings until 2007 included Philip Morris companies as well as Kraft Foods (Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Maxwell House), which it spun off in 2007. Philip Morris International is an international tobacco company that has seven of the top 20 global cigarette brands. In 2010, it had a total revenue of $16.9 billion.[14] Its CEO, Michael Szymancyk, had an annual compensation of $24.1 million in 2010.[15]

Individuals

Corporate, Trade or Other Groups

Randy Barnett (Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory, Georgetown University Law Center) addressed the "Repeal Amendment, which gives 2/3 of the state legislatures the power to repeal any federal law or regulation, which would provide a check on federal power" at the December 2010 International Relations Task Force meeting[3]

Nick Dranias (Director, Center for Constitutional Government, Goldwater Institute, and former attorney with the Institute for Justice) spoke on "A Three Step Plan for Restoring State Sovereignty" and introduced the "Constitutional Defense Council Legislation," "Model State Sovereignty Civil Rights Law" and "Sovereign State Interstate Compact" model legislation at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

Mark Elliott (Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center) gave a "Presentation on the Erosion of Intellectual Property" at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

Robert Natelson (Senior Fellow, Constitutional Jurisprudence, Independence Institute; also a Senior Fellow of the Goldwater Institute) spoke about convening an Article 5 convention at the December 2010 States and Nation Policy Summit International Relations Task Force meeting[3]

Politicians

MEP Martin Callanan (BCP - North East England) presented on EU-US Relations at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

Paula Caldwell St-Onge (Consul General of Canada, Dallas, Texas) presented on "Energy Security and Economic Competitiveness" at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

Roger Helmer (Member of the European Parliament representing the United Kingdom's East Midlands region), International Legislator member,[18] introduced the "Resolution Against EU Funding of NGOs" model policy at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

MEP Michael Kaminski (PJN - Poland) introduced the "Resolution in Support of Deepening Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Republic of Moldova" model policy at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

MEP Emma McClarkin (CP - East Midlands) presented on EU-US Relations at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

Rose Sager (Trade Representative for the Kingdom of Bahrain, Embassy of Bahrain) presented on the "Current Situation in Bahrain" at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

William (Bill) H. Payne (R-NM) (New Mexico State Senate Minority Whip, retired Rear Admiral (SEAL) in the United States Navy, former Deputy Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command)[21]

Rep. Ken Ivory (UT R-47 and Executive Director, Where's the Line America? Foundation), Member, Federal Relations Working Group, spoke on "Where's the Line? How States Protect the Constitution" at the International and Federal Relations Task Force meeting at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[3]

↑International Relations, Alec.org website, Accessed July 6, 2011. This page has been altered by ALEC, and is no longer available.

↑American Legislative Exchange Council Inside ALEC Sep./Oct. 2010, organization newsletter, September/October 2010, p. 16 This page has been altered by ALEC and is no longer available. It is on file with the CMD.

↑American Legislative Exchange Council Inside ALEC Sep./Oct. 2009, organization newsletter, September/October 2009, p. 15 this page has been altered by ALEC and is no longer available. It is on file with the CMD.

↑American Legislative Exchange Council ALEC State Chairmen, organization website, accessed April 19th, 2012 This page has been altered by ALEC, the new version does not mention Billy Hewes.

↑American Legislative Exchange Council Inside ALEC Nov./Dec. 2009, organization newsletter, November/December 2009, p. 6 This page has been altered by ALEC and is no longer available. It is on file with the CMD.

↑American Legislative Exchange Council Karla Jones, organization bio, accessed May 27, 2011 This page has been altered by ALEC, and is no longer accessible. A web archive exists here last archive, December 27th, 2011.